The Sunflower Man
by littlestplum
Summary: Grimmjow had never bought flowers for anyone in his twenty six years. No past lovers, not even his mother had received a bouquet of anything from him, not even one of those gaudy chocolate rose bouquets that were basically just single, gross cocoa turds wrapped up in red foil; and he had intended to keep it that way. That was until he found a reason to buy flowers.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys, figured I should probably write something since it's been a couple years now and the GrimmIchi fandom is looking a bit sad lately.**  
 **Honestly, so much stuff has happened that has basically killed my drive to do anything. Lots of people dying to be honest, but let's not start brooding. Anyway I hope you guys enjoy this. I work in a florist beside a café and thought this would be a super cute idea! Let me know if you guys would like to see more of this, I'm thinking it's going to be a three chaptered fic if I can maintain my motivation and if it's liked enough!**

 **xx**

* * *

It was a known fact that Grimmjow absolutely hated buying flowers.

To him, they were dumb and unnecessary. They died in like two weeks anyway and sometimes they died in days. So, what was the point in wasting money on something so temporary?

He had never bought flowers for anyone in his twenty six years. No past lovers, not even his mother had received a bouquet of anything from him, shit, not even one of those gaudy chocolate rose bouquets that was basically just gross cocoa turds wrapped up in red foil; and he had intended to keep it that way.

Of course he had been gifted flowers before, and every now and then he might force his older sister to make an order for a big ass vase of flowers for his shop, just for aesthetic, but he would never actually pay for them.

That was until he had a reason to buy flowers or at least, attempt to seem somewhat interested in them.

His name was Ichigo, and he owned a quaint florist on the corner of a busy street in Karakura. It was always overflowing with bright colours, cheering up anyone who walked past and entrancing little kids as they had rarely seen such colours before.  
Peonies, roses, lilies, sunflowers and many other varieties lined the exterior of the shop. Grimmjow wouldn't have a fucking clue what any of them were called without the little price tags sticking out of the silver buckets, but you had to give him points for trying to give a shit.  
Giftware and more floral arrangements decorated the inside as well, each piece made by local artists and the flowers preened delicately by Grimmjow's latest infatuation and his fellow employees.

Grimmjow had recently opened up his own café a few shops down from the florist, and he would sometimes walk by and see Ichigo in all of his orange-haired glory working on the fresh flowers of the day. Most often Ichigo would be preparing flowers for an upcoming wedding or removing the thorns from fresh roses in two swift flicks of his wrist.

For Grimmjow, it was amazing to watch and looking at the hands and full lips of the florist gave him something to deposit into his spank-bank.

But he only ever watched from a distance of course.

Because Grimmjow hated flowers.

* * *

One morning, while preparing the café for opening, the store received a phone call, the shrill ring startling the barely functioning man.

"Good morning, _Grind & Co Café. _This is Grimmjow speaking" Grimmjow said groggily, holding the phone between his ear and shoulder, while he attempted to spray the windows with cleaner and wipe them down one handedly.

"Good morning Grimmjow. It's Ichigo Kurosaki from _Masaki & I Florals_ a few shops down. I'm kinda bein' drowned with a wedding right now and I don't have time to come in and order, so I was just wondering if we could maybe organise someone to come and drop off some coffees throughout the day? If it's too big of an ask don't worry about it, I don't want to be a hassle" Grimmjow felt a shit eating grin form just from hearing the other man talk. He had never actually gotten close enough to hear him speak and it was damn intoxicating.

"Usually I get coffee from this other place and they just burn the shit out of it so I'm starting to think I should stop wasting my time there" Ichigo babbled. If it was possible, Grimmjow could listen to Ichigo talk shit all day.

 _Fuck, he was starting to sound like a creeper. He didn't even know the guy._

"That's no problem Ichigo" Grimmjow grinned lecherously, as his chest fluttered. In a super manly way, of course.

"Can you give me a list of the drinks you want and I can come and drop them off for you soon?" Grimmjow was soaking this up and the jitters were starting to set in from this encounter, but he was loving every second of it, even if he felt like these new emotions went against his well-established bad-boy personality.

Ichigo then went on to order several different drinks and apologized as if he was being the biggest pest to have ever existed before they both hung up. But Grimmjow would rather make coffees for the cute florist than the pervy schoolgirls who always sat in the corner table of his shop staring at his derriere. It was flattering for a while, but now it was just fucking annoying. It didn't help a few of them got handsy and it certainly didn't help Grimmjow's delicate temper.

If they weren't such good business he would have asked them to piss off a long time ago.

Once the clock hit 6:45am, Grimmjow had opened the front doors of the cafe to start the day. With the smell of freshly brewed coffee perfuming the area. People rushed in and out of the cafe grabbing their refreshments and going on with their business happily with cups of exquisite grounds in their hands as well as his homemade sugar cookies that he gave free with every cup sold.

Happy sighs and light chatter filled the cafe as his employees hustle and bustled their way around the tables, helping customers and preparing orders.

The business was known for their outstanding customer service, even though they had only been open for a few months, they were already being recognized as a star of Karakura. Grind & Co Café was a rustic location decorated with autumnal colours.A large fireplace stood in the back burning wood comfortably, tables and chairs scattered throughout the area and small wooden stump candleholders had been placed on the tables with lit tea lights projecting the warm and fuzzies that customers craved.

Grimmjow would admit that the place was fucking hipster-y as shit but he loved it with all his heart.

People came from all over the city for Grimmjow's coffee blend as well as their homemade sugar cookies and strawberry muffins that were both Grimmjow's secret recipe.

 _Okay so it wasn't really a secret recipe, he found both of them in the depths of Pinterest, but he would never admit to that._

By the time the morning rush had began to quieten down, Grimmjow started on the coffees for Ichigo. One by one he made sure each drink was made perfectly, to impress the younger man. Once Grimmjow had finished preparing the drinks and placing them in the cardboard holders, he went on to take them to the florist.

"Nnoitra!" Grimmjow hollered

"Yes boss?" Nnoitra bellowed back to his best friend of many years.

"I'll be back, just dropping some coffees off, don't burn the shop down when I'm gone or I'll kill ya"

"Yeah, yeah. Have fun talking to flower boy" Nnoitra taunted while waving Grimmjow's comment off.  
Grimmjow would have fired him long ago for being such a pain the ass but there was too many memories and deep down he really did love the shit face.

Really deep down.

So Grimmjow made his way to the florist, checking his reflection in the passing windows to make sure he was going to leave some kind of sexual thought in that tangerine head.

He ran his fingers through his hair again in an effort to tame the strands, but the majority just fell back into his face, causing him to let out a dramatic sigh.

Once Grimmjow had decided he looked good enough to actually walk into the florist he held his head high and carried the drinks inside with a steady arm. He was greeted automatically by an auburn haired female with starry doe eyes. She seemed kind of weary of him at first but then she registered that he was carrying multiple cups of coffee.

"Mr. Grimmjow! Welcome! Thank you so much for doing this, I'd get Ichigo for you but this week is chaos for him." She took the beverages from his hands and placed them on the counter, grabbing one and sipping on it lightly and sighing with two hands on the cup like every other bitch who drank a hot cup of coffee.

While all Grimmjow could think was _"Fuck. My plan is ruined. Ichigo is too busy to even meet me"_

"Oh don't worry about it" He kept his response blunt to hide his disappointment. Oblivious to the uncomfortable look the big-boobed chick sent him.

Just as he began to lose hope and leave the shop entirely, the man came out from hiding. In his arms he held so many roses they almost obscured him completely from view. If it wasn't for the tufts of bright orange, he probably wouldn't have been able to recognise him.

"Ichigo! Do you need help at all?" the lady he would now refer to as "Boobies" shrieked as she started moving in the direction of Ichigo, before stopping in her tracks.

"No, no, Inoue. It's fine. Stop worrying" his man-crush began to delicately place the bunches of roses into vases, making sure he wasn't overcrowding them to the point  
where the petals could be harmed when removed.

 _Oh, so her name is Inoue._

"Grimmjow just came by to drop off the coffees you ordered earlier!" Inoue/Boobies announced, dropping her head and blushing when Ichigo finally looked at her and then looked at Grimmjow and then at Inoue again.

A slight pinkish tint had begun to cover his cheeks as soon as he takes in all of the self-proclaimed Adonis, but Grimmjow refused to admit his own beauty was causing the flush and decided that placing the roses must have strained him.

Obviously it was just the roses being too heavy.

Totally.

Now Grimmjow didn't want to present himself as arrogant as he truly was, but he couldn't help it. As soon as Ichigo had spared a glance in his direction he wanted to lick him all over. Hell, he could see it on Ichigo's face that the feeling was mutual.

So Grimmjow stood there admiring the man of his dreams. Looking the florist up and down, he was mentally adding more to the spank bank without seeming too obvious of his lewd thoughts and avoiding making Ichigo uncomfortable. .

He definitely didn't want to scare the guy off, he just wanted to fuck him into oblivion and maybe get married and rescue a dog with him.

Ichigo was beginning to get antsy under Grimmjow's stare, so he stopped before his dick got rock solid from sheer excitement.

"Oh, shit. Gimme a second I'll grab some cash for you" Ichigo said smiling, looking like an angel sent from the heavens to give him awkward boners. His freckles and dimples stabbing Grimmjow in the stomach with butterflies.

"Nah don't worry about it Strawberry. I'll be back in a little bit. Give me a call if you need anything else" the pervy grin was back and Ichigo was blushing and pouting and looking like a damn petulant kid.

He was gonna fucking love teasing the florist.

'Thanks so much Grimmjow, I've gotta get back to work." Ichigo was avoiding his gaze so Grimmjow decided it was time to go.

"See ya later" Grimmjow waved as he left the shop.

"Bye Mr. Grimmjow! Come back soon!" Inoue shouted as Grimmjow walked out of the door, a sour expression replacing his grin.

 _Fuck off, Boobs._

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed, feel free to review.**

 **xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

Hey guys!

I know it's been so long since I've updated and I'm such a liar, but I finally finished this. This chapter has been sitting around for so long, and I'm not sure if I will continue it after this chapter, so I left the ending open just in case I ever want to revisit it. Please give me any feedback as long as it's not hate, since hate won't get a reaction out of me.

Thanks!

* * *

The Sunflower Man

Chapter 2

* * *

It was often hard to believe that being a florist could be so draining, in fact Ichigo often had oblivious customers come in and say the job " _would be just the most relaxing one out there_ " and that " _it must be so great to surround yourself with flowers and just PLAY all day!_ ". But it sure as hell wasn't recurring that he found himself drowsing at his work bench contemplating sleep, this was probably the only season where he would get away with having a quick nap and leaving the rest to Orihime. Since winter was approaching, the number of walk-in customers had been decreasing consistently, the January weather hindering all activity in the boutique-y suburb of the shop. Usually the atmosphere he worked in was quite busy during the day, but the cold left people staying inside instead of adventuring as they would have been when it was still warm. It didn't stop customers from ordering their arrangements online though, however it had since been turned off automatically as it was now too late to guarantee same day delivery and Ichigo really was the busiest florist. The shop was successful because of his work ethic, and if he were to deprive himself of the time needed to complete the orders, they wouldn't be up to par with his usual standards. However, since it really was quieting down, there was definitely a small chance Ichigo could have a quick rest without being bothered. The orange-haired man genuinely contemplated leaving Inoue to do all of the work for him. He hadn't had a break in months.

The dreary weather certainly did nothing to halt the bombardment of weddings though. Consults were occurring too regularly, with couples wanting to plan their spring nuptials ahead of time, leaving him drained with the amount of Bridezillas he was advising.

Ichigo would need to have a talk with Orihime, the bookings were overwhelming him and leaving too little of time for his usual in depth consultations he pride himself on. It was her job as his receptionist to make everything flow, and when things weren't flowing accordingly it made his job chaotic, and she seemed to be doing anything but that.

Half of the women he dealt with didn't even know what they wanted, or they wanted what he couldn't give them, which was hard to do considering no florist put as much time and effort into their execution as much as Ichigo did.

Brides didn't understand that some flowers were just simply unavailable unless they were imported _(which Ichigo frowned upon, preferring to keep his inventory restricted to within the country or local)_ , or that specific flowers would be more costly leaving a hefty dent in their wedding budget.

" _Oh, but peonies really aren't that much more expensive than roses wholesale! Why charge extra? I've done my research…" - Rana rana rana._ How could the customer ever be wrong, right? With all of that experience they have.. Their experience and vast knowledge of the inner workings of floristry being their "Dream Wedding" _Pinterest_ board, that often left too much to Ichigo's imagination.

" _So, from what I'm looking at you want a moody, dark, romantic wedding, but want spring colours with gypsophila, buttercup roses and pale green baby eucalyptus?"_

" _Correct"_

" _Right."_

They just didn't understand, and it tested Ichigo's patience to unreachable levels.

* * *

The wedding date for his latest project was rapidly approaching and Ichigo was praying life would slow down so he could take a quick five minute breather. It wasn't too burdening of a wedding, basic flowers for a basic couple. Plump dusty pink rose bouquets with silver suede and gypsophila accompanied by replica centrepieces and cake decorations were all they had requested of the floral kind.

He rarely had the opportunity to create something so simple, customers usually came to Ichigo when they wanted the most exorbitant designs, so it wasn't anything Ichigo couldn't handle, but it didn't help him decompress. In fact, it was probably the easiest wedding he had ever partaken in, the only issue was that everything had to be completed by the weekend and the delivery of roses had been postponed to the Friday morning before the wedding date, which was today.

Ichigo never had a minute to himself anymore, and he was running around wildly trying to prepare for tomorrow's impending wedding. Straussing perfect bouquets together, his work dazzling the few customers who passed by and entrancing the children who look in through the large windows of the store. Seeing the awe frame the faces of passerbys gave him a reason to live, and push through the lethargy that never seemed to leave.

When Ichigo thought back to recent happenings, he could easily pin where he his stress levels had peaked; when his high school best friend, Rukia Kuchiki had gone and decided to get engaged to her highschool sweetheart, Renji Abarai.

All of that was fine and fucking dandy, but it provided no relief to Ichigo's heart palpitations.

It was funny for Ichigo to think about, and it lightened his mood a little, considering the circumstances.

 _Flashback to six months ago or whatever_

 _When Rukia's name showed up on Ichigo's caller I.D, his "hello's" had gone unanswered and the only sound that came through the speaker was a peculiar gasping sob combined with choking. Once Ichigo had squeezed some actual words out of her, he concluded that she had been trying to tell him that his red-headed oaf of a friend had finally sucked up his bullshit insecurities, as well as his petrifying fear of Rukia's older brother, Byakuya, and proceeded to ask her to be his life partner._

 _Rukia's method of announcing her engagement to Ichigo was so out of character he had seriously considered notifying the police._

" _So did you say yes?" The phone was silent on Rukia's end, causing Ichigo's eyes to widen in fear of the worst._

" _Rukia..I'm so sor-"_

" _Of course I said yes, what the hell, Ichigo?!" her voice was still nasally from her teary convulsions. He winced at her wrath, pulling the phone away from his ear in an attempt to avoid potential hearing loss._

" _Don't be fucking rude"_

 _Shortly after their phone call, he had rushed over to see her, a gift wrapped bouquet of richly perfumed ivory lilies in hand and a feeling of melancholy settling in the pit of his stomach, Ichigo wasn't sure what the feeling meant, but it made him want to sit in his car and listen to sad songs._

 _As soon as he entered the home of the newly engaged couple, Rukia had shoved her hand towards Ichigo's face, causing him to take a step back thinking he was about to be throat punched by his platonic soulmate. His eyes settled on the lavish ring that adorned Rukia's dainty finger. It was expensive, obviously, and it had a delicate platinum band with a large teardrop diamond. It was questionable how Renji could afford such a ring, considering he wasn't blessed with the noble upbringing Rukia had. There wasn't a doubt in Ichigo's mind that Rukia's older brother, Byakuya, had some input in the choice of ring, despite the strained relationship the men shared, the thought made him grin._

 _When they had settled into conversation, Rukia got a glint in her eye. It was a sparkle that Ichigo knew too well._

" _Ichigo~" Rukia had said, his name trailing out of her mouth coated in a thick layer of sickly honey. Ichigo eyed her suspiciously._

" _Yes, Rukia?"_

" _So like, you know how you love me forever and we would totally be in love if-?"_

" _No." That earned him a slap across the back of his head and before he could get a word out he was already being interrupted._

" _Oh fuck you here I am, bequeathing you with the privilege to be my Man of Honor AND asking you to pretty please do my wedding flowers for me?" She batted her charcoal doe eyes at him, attempting to suffocate a positive reaction out of the orange haired man._

 _Ichigo was taken aback, cinnamon eyes processing what she was just requesting. It was too much. He knew that the wedding would be one of the most extravagant and traditional events he would ever attend, considering the Kuchiki's came from a long line of musty nobility. However the thought of having to further drain himself made him want to lock himself in his room. There was also the issue of the maid of honor being traded for a "Man of Honor", which to some, was unheard of. He was unsure how that would fly at such a wedding._

 _Ichigo had a feeling his position in the wedding would most definitely be frowned upon from Rukia's extended family. The Kuchiki's were basically just a family of grumpy old men who stuck to outdated beliefs and ideals, showing no form of compassion to anyone outside of the clan. It was crazy they still managed to breed with their personalities._

 _It was also crazy to think that Ichigo used to ride Byakuya's dick into the night._

 _But back to it._

 _If she hadn't been his partner in crime for a majority of his life he would've said no, but how could he? They had been through everything together._

 _All of their mortifying teenage memories were shared._

 _From Ichigo's first awkward chin hair, to Rukia's first heartbreak, they knew everything about each other. Some thought it was unhealthy and weird, but they just didn't get it, they didn't understand how two people could be soul mates with no romance._

 _Everything would have to be more than perfect for the pair, and that unsettled him._

 _But it didn't stop him from telling the bride-to-be yes._

 _Flashback Over_

Ichigo refused to admit that seeing the love the couple shared had really led him to cry and listen to sad songs in his car.

It wasn't that Ichigo wasn't happy for her, just sad. His own romantic relationships never really worked out, nothing more than quick fucks than actual bonding and growing as a couple. He couldn't really blame his ex-partners though, his job caused a lot of strain. Majority of the time they thought he was the kind of person who had been planning his wedding since conception.

He had been.

There wasn't a chance in hell he'd ever admit it though.

He didn't want anyone to think he was frothing at the mouth to get married, he wasn't quite that desperate, but he was getting there.

Even if he did come out of utero wearing a flower crown.

Sadly, however, the whole gay thing kind of ruined his chances of having his own "big day", for now anyway. Laws were constantly changing and he longed to celebrate his very own love. But people these days were scared of commitment, fuck, Ichigo was too. The thought of giving himself to someone entirely was terrifying.

What if he was rejected?

What if they ended up being the type of person who yells at innocent retail workers?

Ichigo would actually die if that were his case.

* * *

It was _2:30pm_ by the time Ichigo had finished the florals for the current wedding, he ordered Orihime to watch over the shop while he went down the strip of small businesses to grab both of them coffees for a breather. Inoue would have to deal with the transportation of the flowers and any potential issues, but she was employed for that reason. She was the only other person that worked with him, she handled all of the cash and customer service for Ichigo since he was often too busy to do anything further than the events that were big money. Of course on the big days like Valentine's or Mother's Day he worked the floor, even asking his younger sisters to help him out around the shop during those busy days, but you would only see Ichigo after his own job was complete. He had an image to uphold after all and no loyal customer wanted supermarket flowers for what they would be paying when purchasing Ichigo's blooms.

Ichigo couldn't let his own mom's dreams crash and burn because of him, so he ran his business impeccably.

The walk to _Grind & Co _was short, but appreciated. His job may have been in an open store, but even Ichigo felt confined there some days.

He sighed as he pushed open the door of the cafe, breathing in the smell of fresh coffee, never burnt, obviously. Usually Orihime handled the mid-afternoon coffee run, but today Ichigo was happy to be doing it. The striking sky-blue haired baristo also provided some comfort and fun to the experience, lifting a little bit of the weight from his shoulders. Ever since Grimmjow had brought them coffee earlier that week they had agreed to work an arrangement out where whenever there was a particularly stressful wedding or event, which was just about every second day, Grimmjow would send someone down and deliver them drinks. But it wasn't one of those days. It didn't help that Grimmjow insisted he would bring the coffees when Ichigo needed them, refusing to let any of is employees take his place. Ichigo's growing crush on the blue-haired man didn't really help the situation either, but he definitely wasn't blind to Grimmjow's advances. The longing stares, the slight jealousy that would mar his pointed features when Ichigo would acknowledge Inoue's comments instead of giving Grimmjow all of his attention. It was all very flattering and it wasn't long before Ichigo craved the interaction. Ichigo couldn't remember the last time he had an actual lover, and not just the usual " _Use him, abuse him, lose him*_ " as Rukia liked to say. Once he had told his female counterpart of his new romantic interest, she had been nothing but ecstatic and insisted he make the most of it, aka, hit it. Though she had come to that conclusion prior to seeing an actual picture of the man, Rukia's opinion was hardened and she made Ichigo promise that he was to go on a date with Grimmjow, which he hesitantly agreed to.

Ichigo sighed deeply as he pushed the lonely ache in his chest all the way down until it was nothing but a dull throb while he paced closer to the cherry tinted counter of the cafe, waiting for Grimmjow to acknowledge him. The oranget would never admit it, but seeing Grimmjow creating what he loved was soothing and it made his heart flutter. He imagined that's how people saw him from the windows of Ichigo's workplace, just totally in the moment and moving flawlessly. The cafe was oddly quiet, Once Grimmjow caught onto Ichigo standing there, Grimmjow unleashed a charming smirk in his direction.

"Eh Ichigo, coming in yourself today? Not bossing Inoue around? Can't say I miss her."

"Hey I don't boss her around! She's my assistant! Bringing me coffee is Orihime's duty." Ichigo defended. It really was her job. He was positive it was written somewhere in the contract Ichigo had created for the position.

"I know, I know. What can I get for ya?" He laughed heartily placing one of his elbows on the counter to support his head while he left his other hand free to write down Ichigo's order. Smouldering eyes stared into his own ochre pair.

"Um.. I don't know. Wouldn't mind trying something new.. Any recommendations?" Ichigo too, placed one of his elbows onto the counter to hold his head, bringing his face closer to Grimmjow's. He made sure not to miss the quick glance Grimmjow took at the smaller man's lips, although they were a little chapped from the fluctuating Japan weather.

"I'll see what I can do. Almond milk and no chocolate sprinkle, yeah?" The barista said, a small grin twitching at the edges of his full lips, while his eyes gleamed mischievously.

"You know it! How much do I owe you?" Ichigo tried his best not to appear too excited that Grimmjow had remembered his complicated order, but put it down to his crush making coffees for him most days. The sobering thought took his hay-wire feelings down a notch quickly.

"Don't worry about it, it's on the house." Grimmjow said, waving his hand dismissively as he walked back towards the flashy coffee machine.

"Stop being an idiot and let me pay you, please. If you keep giving me freebies, you are gonna be losing revenue and I won't be blamed if your business fails" When the larger man didn't respond, Ichigo took it upon himself to stuff a twenty dollar bill and emptied the loose change he had accumulated in his wallet into the tip jar, mumbling about stubborn baristas. It probably equalled out to be around the total amount he owed, considering Grimmjow never let Ichigo himself pay, only accepting payment from Orihime. He sensed some bitterness from Grimmjow whenever they had spoken, she seemed like a sore subject for Grimmjow, but Ichigo didn't waste his time on the thought. He was blatantly homosexual, even if he and Inoue had very briefly dated in highschool. Their relationship had barely lasted a week before Ichigo concluded that he was never going to be satisfied with her too soft features.. And you know.. Lack of dick. But that was a story for a different day.

The longer Ichigo watched the blunet work, the more he was mesmerised. It was impossible to tell what Grimmjow was making, being unfamiliar with the inner workings of a cafe, but he could tell that whatever it was, Grimmjow was putting more effort into it than necessary. Ichigo let out a breathy sigh. It had been a while since he'd been fawned over by another man. He missed it, but he was stupid to think he could possibly have a chance with his blue-haired crush; if you could call what Ichigo was feeling a crush anyway.

Ichigo hadnt been blind to Grimmjow's subtle advances. From his jealousy towards Inoue, and the way his eyes had lit up every time Grimmjow walked into the florist. The cute little notes and smiley faces his admirer had scrawled onto his daily lattes gave him away, but it still made Ichigo giddy. Their lives were too hectic for romance, well Ichigo's was, he hadn't had the guts to actually mention anything to his crush, Ichigo let other people do the chasing. But he struggled to maintain even his closest friendships, his job was hard and time consuming, leaving him often drained and moody, which only strained his love life further. From waking up in the early hours of the morning, to not coming home until after business hours, he was barely functioning, and he couldn't cope with disappointing another man. He'd heard it all before, and it hurt. Hearing it from Grimmjow would have hurt more.

 _I mean.. If it ever got that far.._

The auburn haired man was snapped out of his revery when Grimmjow sauntered back towards the counter carrying a polished white mug. The top of the cup was covered by Grimmjow's worn hands, he was obviously impressed with his creation, but from what Ichigo could see, it was just a basic latte. Disappointment crossed Ichigo's face, that was until Grimmjow removed his hand from the concealed beverage.

"Ta-da!"

He'd created a sunflower.

A fucking sunflower made of coffee art. It lay on top of the latte, swirled delicately onto the foam of his preferred coffee. Ichigo wondered how many times Grimmjow had practiced that. His mouth opened and closed like a fish a couple times before something appeared in Grimmjow's expression that made Ichigo's stomach turn.

"Ya gotta stop gaping like that. Do you like it?"

"How..?"

"Lot's of fuckin' practice, I wasted all my data watching _Youtube_ videos of coffee art, but none of them were good enough for me, so I personalised it a little for you" Grimmjow admitted, placing the mug on the counter, he continued waiting for an intelligible response to leave Ichigo. But he was shocked. His favourite flower was basically painted onto his favourite drink.

"Sunflowers are my absolute favourite. Out of all the flowers in the world.. How'd you guess that?"

"Just kinda assumed you weren't a real rose person and they are a little too basic for you. Figured you would like something that didn't really conform to all the flowers I see you working with. You also look a bit like a sunflower, but didn't really wanna say that. Too late.."

Ichigo chuckled, he had been right about not enjoying roses as much as other florists did. They had nothing on sunflowers for him. Sunflowers were bright, happy and hearty. Sunflowers were the perfect flower from him. Just the way they attracted warmth, causing the subsequent opening of the bloom, showcasing the brilliant yellow petals and deep penny center, they made Ichigo feel. Refraining from getting defensive as he usually would have at the slight stab to his appearance. He couldn't help it, besides he couldn't blame Grimmjow for making such a comparison, it was true. A bright smile and blush engulfed his face, he knew his cheeks were going to hurt later and he felt weightless from Grimmjow's efforts.

"Sit with me?" Ichigo

"Sure, just one sec, I'll lock the door" Grimmjow sauntered over to the front door, jiggling his keys around as he observed the cafe, making sure he was positive that he wasn't accidentally locking any patrons inside while they spoke.

The red-haired wandered off towards the abandoned seating area while Grimmjow locked the outside world away from them. Ichigo was feeling the warm and fuzzies bad, but just that one little action had sparked something from within his chest. It had been years since he felt such a thing. _Appreciated_ , he guessed. Ichigo would need to give his crush extra tips for being the cause of Grimmjow chewing through his data. But that could wait - for now. He took a seat at a small two person table and placed the drink down, waiting for Grimmjow to seat opposite to him.

Once Grimmjow had made his way to the table he plopped straight onto the chair and sunk relaxedly into it's comfort, a bottle of water in his hand. Ichigo understood that need to sit after being on your feet all day too well. Grimmjow searched Ichigo's expression for a giveaway, but came up blank.

"You have a crush on me"

"No shit Sherlock. Even Inoue noticed" Ichigo balked at that. How could Inoue, innocent, ditsy, Inoue have caught it before he did? It didn't take long to realise that Grimmjow's crush was the only logical reason she had let Ichigo be on coffee duty, she was usually adamant about it being her job. _Conniving girl_..

While Ichigo was thinking of ways to low-key berate Orihime for meddling in his personal affairs, which he genuinely despised his friends doing, unless it was Rukia, who had pushed him to act on his feelings for once. Grimmjow watched as Ichigo gnawed on his plump bottom lip, tensions rising on his part.

"So are you gonna go on a date with me or nah?"

"Uh I don't know.. Not sure if I'm totally wooed yet.. I mean.. I think i need more than just some coffee art before I really start feeling your effect" A scowl pulled at Grimmjow's handsome features, his eyes darkening. Then suddenly Ichigo was being pulled across the small table by the collar of his shirt and the petal soft lips of Ichigo's were planted against Grimmjow's. They stayed in that position for what felt like eternity to Ichigo, whose face had erupted in a deep crimson blush, defining the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of his nose. The soft pink on Ichigo's face a minute ago was nothing compared to the fire on his face now.

It wasn't until Ichigo felt something wet and warm seep through the front of his trousers. Ichigo broke off the kiss to find the source of moisture only to find the coffee Grimmjow had made was spilled in their fervor.

"Quit fretting, it's just coffee, not like you came in your pants. If you go on a date with me though I'll make you sunflower latte art forever and maybe we could like.. I don't know.. Adopt a dog?" The taller man searched Ichigo's expression, waiting for some kind of sign that he hadnt just fucked up by pulling the blushing man into a kiss.

"I'd like that.. A lot. You do look like more of a cat person though." Ichigo giggled, the smile he had worn shortly before returning as he imagined his life with Grimmjow and their very own dog, the thought warming his heart. At least Ichigo wouldn't have to numb himself each time he saw the man now, and could instead, be himself.

"You are mistaken" A toothy grin enveloped Grimmjow's face as he pulled Ichigo's lips back to his own, ignoring the coffee continuing to slowly spill off the edge of the table.

He _had_ to tell Rukia.


End file.
